Former governor and ambassador Jon Huntsman is an articulate, attractive, cerebral, urbane internationalist. He’s a proven conservative with a reassuring, moderate tone and a model family. His vast experience in state and federal government, including service as a diplomat, clearly makes him qualified to be president.

In other words, he is “toast” in today’s Republican Party, and he has very little chance to be the 2012 nominee.

Proven conservative, eh?

Argued stimulus package was too small

Supported a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants

Supported cap-and-trade

Supports civil unions (personally, I don’t have a problem with this. I’ve said before and I’ll say again, this is America, the home of the free, and, there is no reason why two people who love each other should be denied just because they are the same sex. If it doesn’t hurt someone else, why should we care? That’s classic liberalism, which is what American conservatism is based on)

Doesn’t irrationally fear China

Those come from an article by Think Progress, talking about Huntsman’s “secret life as a progressive.” I find it interesting that the opinion writer, Ed Rogers, “a former White House staffer to Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush”, was unable to actually cite any of Huntsman’s background that makes him a “proven conservative.” Or even makes him a moderate Republican.

Meanwhile, Rep. Michele Bachmann is a GOP leader to watch. She is a star in the party and bulletproof with our right wing. She is more thoughtful than she gets credit for. The Tea Party will follow her to the ends of the earth, and her positions on the budget and the economy are where most Republicans’ hearts and minds fall.

That highlighted phrase shows just where Ed is coming from, namely, the wishy washy GOP left. And Ed thinks the best ticket to beat Obama would be Huntsman-Bachmann, the best team available, have them announce now that they are team. He doesn’t like the whole pesky nomination process. Like so many of the Party big wigs, he wants to simply pick who’s running for the rest of us. And he doesn’t really think any of the others can beat Obama.

Let’s not forget, Obama didn’t beat McCain by that much. And, McCain truly shot himself in the foot with his “I’m suspending my campaign” stunt. Had he gone to Washington and helped craft a good plan, it might have been different. Instead, we pretty much got the same planned TARP, and it was downhill after that. Prior to that point, McCain had all the Bush 2004 states, and was gaining in the Kerry 2004 states, and even winning in a few.

If we’re going to have someone who’s a wishy washy Republican at the top of the ticket, I’d rather have Romney, who has a mostly proven pro-business record, both in the private sector and as governor, along with executive leadership capabilities in both sectors. Yes, he has some problems, but, what politician doesn’t? Sarah Palin wasn’t exactly anti-illegal alien during her time in Alaskan government, both as a mayor and a governor. How about Romney-Bachmann or Romney-Cain? Or, better yet, how about Palin-Cain or Palin-Bachmann?